Boy Scout Troop 154 Takes 'Trip Of A Lifetime' To Pikes Peak

Press release from Zachary Montoya:

Aug. 20, 2021

The Boy Scout Crew 716-CC-01 from Troop 154 recently returned from their Philmont Scout Ranch High Adventure trek in Cimarron, New Mexico. The crew visited Pikes Peak and went white water rafting before going down to Cimarron. Though there were many obstacles along the trails, the crew persevered the 12-day trek and endured the physical challenges the environment posed on them. The first day on the trail was an eventful one. The crew encountered a pair of rattlesnakes right off the bat. While the rattlesnakes were dangerous, no crew member was harmed. Later, on their final day on the trail, the crew encountered an adolescent brown bear in search of food, a fitting experience for their final day on the trail. At camp Anasazi, the crew settled down and had a distant view of Baldy Mountain. Baldy Mountain was the challenge the crew all came for.

The next day the crew hiked to Metcalf Station, a railroad themed town. There the crew did blacksmithing and rode a pump car down the rails. Following the crew’s visit to Metcalf Station, they hiked over to Ponil. This was the former basecamp for Philmont Scout Ranch. There the crew had a chuckwagon dinner and went to a shooting range featuring all the guns a cowboy would have. Overall, shooting sports was the second favorite activity of the crew, the first being the hike up Baldy Mountain.

The hike up Baldy Mountain was likely the most trying physical activity of the whole trip. The Crew woke up before dawn when there were still stars in the dark sky and before the dew had dampened the ground. Up the crew went, from their camp at Ute Meadows, to the small Baldy Town. It was a long and steep hike to the top of Baldy Mountain from Baldy Town and it was about 3000 foot elevation climb and a total 12,441 feet above sea level to be specific. The climb took many hours but it was well worth it. It will be forever etched into the Scouts’ minds the moment they reached the summit of Baldy.

Of all the high adventure trips the Boy Scouts has to offer, the crew all agrees that the Philmont trip is a trip of a lifetime. There are Scouts and Advisors who manage to make multiple trips over the course of their lives simply because of the hiking and Philmont’s natural wonders which make for a unique, extraordinary and unforgettable experience. If you’re interested in hiking and the great outdoors, consider joining a Boy Scout Troop near you. Troop 154 meets regularly at the Pluckemin Presbyterian Church on Friday evenings during the school year.

This press release was produced by Zachary Montoya. The views expressed here are the author's own.